Odd/Ugly M1917

1srelluc

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I picked this one up for a song and it's really odd.....And ugly.

It's looks to have been made-up of parts.

Serial #123305.....Oct of 1918?

No US property markings on the barrel though the frame was inspected.

No US Army or serial on the butt.....The barrel's serial is EPed on the butt.

The crane/cylinder serial is different from each other and the barrel.

I'm wondering if this is one that was sold commercially or just put together from parts later on?

It was in a real nice Lawerance flapped holster. The bore is very nice, it's smooth, tight, and it shoots just fine....Just had a rough life.

50s/60s era Franzite N-Frame magnas.....Which, oddly enough, I sorta like.
 

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I picked this one up for a song and it's really odd.....And ugly.

It's looks to have been made-up of parts.

Serial #123305.....Oct of 1918?

No US property markings on the barrel though the frame was inspected.

No US Army or serial on the butt.....The barrel's serial is EPed on the butt.

The crane/cylinder serial is different from each other and the barrel.

I'm wondering if this is one that was sold commercially or just put together from parts later on?

It was in a real nice Lawerance flapped holster. The bore is very nice, it's smooth, tight, and it shoots just fine....Just had a rough life.

50s/60s era Franzite N-Frame magnas.....Which, oddly enough, I sorta like.

I swear that marking you show looks almost identical to similar markings that I have seen on Eibar Spanish S&W copies.
 
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I swear that marking you show looks almost identical to similar markings that I have seen on Eibar Spanish S&W copies.

Nah, I have enough M1917s to know the serial fonts....That and the proper roll marks are on the barrel along with an eagle's head behind the serial on the barrel.
 
Show pics of all the other markings and we can tell you a lot more.
 
Show pics of all the other markings and we can tell you a lot more.

There are none other than the proper barrel roll marks for a M1917 and inspection mark on the frame.

Oh, the cylinder star is also a different serial. None of them match.

I'm not counting the EPed number on the butt but it does not look like the barrel was switched-out.
 
I would’ve bought that 1917 and holster had I had the chance. That would make a great shooter.

That was my thought. I figured if it would not shoot the sum of it's parts would be worth much more than the $150.00 I paid.

Given what Lawerance holsters go for these days it was like paying for the holster and getting the revolver for free. ;)
 
Louisiana Swamp People Say ... Choot 'Em !!!

Some of my best shooters and most enjoyable times involved ...

Odd / Not-Beautiful guns and people ... They can be lots of Fun !

Gary
 
"...No US Army or serial on the butt.....The barrel's serial is EPed on the butt....

The ser# is Electro-penciled onto the butt of the frame?
(The orig S&W marking ( ser# and Model of 1917) has been removed?)

Uh oh,,here we go again.
 
Electro-penciled serial number on the butt of the grip frame is... "unusual".

The big question is the gun now legal? And does any body think the BATF really cares about how these 100 +year old relics are numbered as long as they are numbered and the number on the butt is correct?
 
The big question is the gun now legal? And does any body think the BATF really cares about how these 100 +year old relics are numbered as long as they are numbered and the number on the butt is correct?
When it comes to the bureaucrats, there is always at least one that will be overly interested.
 
When it comes to the bureaucrats, there is always at least one that will be overly interested.

Here are the thoughts of an old, retired law dawg.

I spent 25 years in law enforcement in Alabama. If a man or woman was going about their business in a lawful manner, the odds of having some badge toter stop them and check the serial numbers of their firearms are pretty low. However, if you had just committed a burglary and ran from the po-leece, any violation of the law, up to and including illegal disposal of toenail clippings is liable to be sought against you.

Now, if you live somewhere with overzealous gun grabbers like NYC or NJ, all bets are off.
 
When it comes to the bureaucrats, there is always at least one that will be overly interested.

If you look long enough you can probably find one that will want to cause you grief in some way for having the serial number EPed on the butt of your old WW1 era revolver instead of stamped.
 
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